Two-for-one twisting machine



Oct. 20, 1970 FR E ETAL 3,534,539

TWO-FORONE TWISTING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1969 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Fig. 2

Fig. 1

- l zvyewmks GU Z'A'V -WANZE uL -lq/ LOSSA G. FRANZEN ETAI- TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINE Oct. 20, 1970 Filed May 16, 19 69 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 20, 1970 FRANZEN ETAL TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 16, 1969 Mu e-wraps GUSTA v I FRA Nzs/v RIC H L 055 A Oct. 20, 1970 G. FRANZEN ETAL 3,534,539

TWO-POR-ONE TWISTING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1969 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

U Av FRHNZEN ULRICH LOSSA Oct. 20, 1970 FRANZEN ET AL 3,534,539

TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1969 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOPS 0$ 4v FRANZEN ULRICH LOSSA Oct. Z0, 1970 FRANZEN ETAL TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 16, 1969 Fig. 8

INVENI'OPS GUSTAV RHNZEN ULRICH LOSSA Oct. 20, 1970 e. FRANZEN ETAL 3,534,539

TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1969 7 Sheets-Sheet v lNrsumgs 5 5W mlvze v (l -R H LOSSA United States atent O 3,534,539 TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTIN G MACHINE Gustav Franzen, Neersen, Bezirk Dusseldorf, and Ulrich Lossa, Krefeld, Germany, assignors to Palitex Project- Company G.m.b.H., Krefeld, Germany Filed May 16, 1969, Ser. No. 825,300 Claims priority, application Germany, May 20, 1968, 1,760,456; Sept. 13, 1968, 1,785,350 Int. Cl. D01h 7/86, 13/30, 9/14 US. Cl. 57-34 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention concerns an arrangement for loading bobbins in, and unloading bobbins from a two-for-one twisting machine, at the head end of the machine. The machine has a bobbin conveyor which is located at a level above both the delivery bobbin and winding-up bobbin stations of the machine so the sides of the machine are completely unobstructed. The loading of the bobbin is accomplished by a supply conveyor which leads upwardly to the level of the bobbin conveyor and then along the side thereof with bobbins being transferred from the supply conveyor to the bobbin conveyor by an inclined rail carried by the machine frame. At the other side of the machine, an inclined rail on the machine frame ejects bobbins from the bobbin conveyor to a discharge chute.

The present invention relates to a two-for-one twisting machine of the general type disclosed in assignees US. Pat. 3,429,113, issued Feb. 25, 1959. The said US. patent describes a two-for-one twisting machine having a machine frame and also having endless conveyor means which below said spindle area moves around the machine frame in a continuous manner at variable speeds and/or in steps. The said conveyor means is provided with receiving means for the feeding of delivery bobbins with or without bobbin carrier units of the spindle and if desired is also adapted to move away winding-up bobbins which are spaced from each other in conformity with the spindle spacing.

Such two-for-one twisting machine has the advantage that a transport of the delivery bobbins with or without bobbin carrier units for equipping the spindles and for the withdrawal of completed winding-up bobbins and for the transport of the bobbin sleeves on both sides along the machine by means of hand cart will not be necessary. Instead from the head end of the machine, the delivery bobbins can be transported to the working range of the spindles, and the completed winding-up bobbins can be moved from there to the same head end of the machine so that transporting operations to be carried out by the operator are necessary only at the head end of the machine. This makes it possible to mount the machines closely adjacent to each other because the path adjacent the machines need only be wide enough to permit the operator to move along the machine, whereas an additional space for moving carts or similar vehicles is no longer necessary.

A further advantage of the above mentioned two-forone twisting machine consists in that the withdrawal of delivery bobbins and the transporting away of completed winding-up bobbins can be carried out by unskilled labor so that the operating personnel provided for the servicing of the spindles can devote their time exclusively with the mounting of delivery bobbins, the withdrawal of empty bobbins, the withdrawing of completed winding-up bobbins, and the knotting of broken threads.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a two-for-one twisting machine and so to design the same that the space requirement between adjacent machines will be further reduced and the manual labor to be performed by the operator will be eased further by eliminating or lifting movements, namely, the lifting of bobbins.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a view of the head end of a two-forone twisting machine adjacent the drive, with endless conveyor means arranged above the winding-up portion of the machine.

FIG. 2 is a section transverse to the machine of FIG. 1 behind the transmission box in the direction toward the other machine end.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the head end of the two-forone twisting machine according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a head end of a two-for-one twisting machine with an endless upward conveyor.

FIG. 5 shows the head end of the machine according to FIG. 4 as seen from the other side in which in contrast to FIG. 4 there is provided an endless upward conveyor detachable from the machine.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the head end of the machine according to FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 illustrates the head end of the machine of FIG. 5 in end view with the transmission box indicated in dash lines.

FIG. 8 is a section transverse to the machine according to FIGS. 4 and 6.

FIG. 9 is the top view of a head end of a machine similar to FIG. 6 with bobbin placing mandrels serving as bobbin receivers at the upper endless conveyor means.

The two-for-one twisting machine according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the endless conveyor means instead of being arranged below the spindle range, is located above the winding-up por tion of the machine. This arrangement brings about that all transporting movements will occur at substantially the same level, namely, at the level of the endless conveyor means. Furthermore, there exists the possibility to design the individual machines still narrower and to mount the same still closer to each other. In this con nection it will be appreciated that above the winding-up portion there is more space available and furthermore the operator, for placing the delivery bobbins onto the spindles or lifting the spindle units off the endless conveyor means and mounting the bobbins onto the rotor of the spindles does not have to bend down any longer, so that the heretofore necessary relatively wide path between the individual machines can be made narrower.

Another problem underlying the present invention consists in automating the movement of the bobbin units to the upper servicing plane and in automizing the Withdrawal of the finished winding-up bobbins from said plane so that the transport movements with the bobbin units to and from the machine will be facilitated. In order to solve the above mentioned problem, the invention provides that at one head end of the machine and on one longitudinal side thereof there is provided an upward endless conveyor which is operable at the same speed as the upper endless conveyor means, said upward conveyor being provided with bobbin receiving means in the form of troughs. The upper section of said endless upward conveyor extends somewhat beyond the height of the upper endless conveyor and subsequently parallel to the latter with bobbin receiving means which are inclined downwardly toward the central plane of the machine, said upper section of said upward conveyor extending over a plurality of spindle stands. Furthermore, there is pro vided an abutment strip for the delivery bobbins which extends approximately over the same length above said conveyor section and at an incline to the longitudinal direction thereof. Opposite said abutment strip on the other side of the machine there is provided an abutment strip for the Winding-up bobbin which at an incline to its longitudinal direction extends outwardly above the return strand of the upper endless conveyor means while extending therebeyond. Laterally and below said section of said endless conveyor means for the withdrawal of the winding-up bobbins there is provided a downwardly inclined chute which leads into a collecting container in front of the head end of the machine.

This design of the two-for-one twisting machine makes possible the following operations:

After a container with a number of delivery bobbins in conformity with the number of spindles of the machine has been placed in readiness in front of the head end of the machine or the delivery bobbins have been placed in readiness at this area upon a table, the two-endless conveyor means coupled to each other are turned on. Thereupon, delivery bobbins are continuously placed into the bobbin receiver in the form of troughs of the endless upward conveyor which moves the delivery bobbins somewhat beyond the height of the upper endless conveyor means. Here the bobbin receiver moves parallel to the upper endless conveyor means over some spindles until it returns in downward direction. While being on the first mentioned path, the delivery bobbins will have one end of their sleeves engage the abutment strip. Inasmuch as the latter extends at an incline to the longitudinal direction of the upward endless conveyor means above the same, the delivery bobbins are successively displaced toward the machine in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the machine and are received from the bobbin receiver of the upper endless conveyor means. By the upper endless conveyor, the upwardly transporting delivery bobbins are distributed around the entire machine above the winding-up portions.

If a number of delivery bobbins which corresponds to the number of the spindles to be equipped is distributed over the upper endless conveyor means, both endless conveyors are stopped. Thereupon the operator will be able successively to remove the individual delivery bobbins from the bobbin receivers and to place the same upon the spindles while simultaneously the empty sleeves are inserted into the bobbin frame of the spooling-up parts. The mounting of the spindles is subsequently followed by the twisting operation in the customary manner.

When the entire bobbin of the individual delivery spools has been unwound, and after the winding-up bobbins have been completed, the same can be removed from the winding-up portions and may be mounted upon the bobbin receivers of the upper endless conveyor means. Thereupon the upper endless conveyor is turned on so that the fixed winding-up bobbins move the endless conveyors on the same around the machine toward the loading head end of the machine. In front of the head end, the winding-up bobbins engage the second abutment strip whereby the winding-up bobbins are laterally lifted off from the endless conveyor means. They then drop into the downwardly inclined chute through which they move into the collecting container in front of the head end of the machine.

According to a further development of the present invention, the bobbin receiver in the shape of a trough of the upward endless conveyor may have a U-shaped crosssection by which it will be assured that the delivery bobbins rest along two surfaces in a linear manner and that this rest or support will be assured independently of the diameter of the delivery bobbin.

For placing in readiness empty sleeves, it is suggested according to a further feature of the present invention that the upper endless conveyor is below a bobbin receiver provided with sleeve depositing cups or the like which may likewise be provided at the head end of the machine so that the upper endless conveyor will also take 4 care of the distribution of empty sleeves to the individual twisting stations.

According to a still further feature of the invention, the two endless conveyors may be driven by a drive motor common thereto through the intervention of a transmission so that in addition to saving a special drive, there will also be assured a synchronous movement of both endless conveyors. Such synchronous movement is necessary in order to assure a proper transfer of the delivery bobbins from the upward endless conveyor to the upper endless conveyor.

The upward endless conveyor associated with the head end of the machine may, in conformity with a further feature of the invention, be arranged on a movable frame structure which is detachable from the head end of the machine so that such transporting device may be used in connection with the upward movement of the delivery bobbins to the upper endless conveyor at a plurality of two-for-one twisting machines.

According to a further development of the invention, at the head end of the machine there may be provided a counting device with a switch and a feeler extending into the region of the upward endless conveyor. Such feeler will, after a predetermined number of delivery bobbins has been moved to the upper endless conveyor, stop the drive motor therefor; any desired number may be preset. It will thus be possible from the very start to determine how many delivery bobbins are to be moved to the upper endless conveyor. This number cannot be exceeded because the endless conveyor will be turned off automatically in conformity with the predetermined set number.

According to still another feature of the invention, a counting device with a feeler may be provided in which the feeler extends into the path of the winding-up bobbin on the chute, said counting device counting the winding-up bobbins passing by so that the total production can be read within a certain time period.

In order to assure that the winding-up bobbins will enter the receiving container at the head end of the machine in braked condition, the chute may, in conformity with the present invention, be provided with a step having an impact wall located opposite thereto so that the winding-up bobbins on their way to the receiving container abut against the impact wall which destroys the energy of movement and which thus will assure that the finished winding-up bobbins will drop into the collecting container at a slow speed only.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 in addition to illustrating the driving gear box 1 also shows the twisting stations located adjacent thereto and pertaining to a two-for-one twisting machine. Journalled in the spindle rail 3 of the two machine sides are the spindles 6 which receive the delivery bobbins and the whorls 7 of which are engaged by the circulating tangential drive belt 8. Above the supports 10 with thread guiding means 11 of the two machine sides, said supports 10 being located above the spindles 6, there are arranged the winding-up parts of the machine which comprise the run ning ahead rollers 13, the reciprocating thread guiding rods 14 with the thread guiding means, the rotary friction rollers 21 and the winding-up bobbins 17 supported by the bobbin frame 16. As will be seen from the righthand portion of FIG. 2, the winding-up bobbin 17 rests under an adjustable pressure in conformity with the weight of the bobbin 17, on the friction roller 21 during the operation of the spindle. The spindle 6 on the lefthand machine portion is at a standstill inasmuch as the bobbin frame 16 occupies a position in which it is lifted oil? from the friction roller 21.

Above the winding-up parts of the two-for-one twisting machine there is provided above the support 147 an endless conveyor in the form of a chain 19. The chain 19 extends around the sprocket wheels 20 at the head end of the machine and is driven continuously by a chain wheel and/or is driven stepwise. Between the sprocket wheels 20 at the two head ends of the machine, the chain 19 is guided in rails. The chain 19 carries with the spacing of the spindles the bobbin receiver 22 which is inclined outwardly and upwardly and upon which are placed the delivery bobbin carrier units having a protective pot 6a.

As will be evident from FIG. 2, the two-for-one twisting machine is in view of the arrangement of the endless conveyor above the winding-up bobbin part kept rather small. The bobbin receivers may at the head of the machine be equipped with new delivery bobbins 5 in a very simple manner. To this end, an operator removes the delivery bobbins 5 from a container 156 which has been placed in readiness for this purpose and places them upon the respective mandrel of the delivery bobbin carrier units.

According to assignees US. Pat. 3,429,113, with an endless conveyor arranged below the spindles, there is provided a mechanical threading device at the head end of the machine. In FIG. 1 there is likewise illustrated a threading device which comprises a cylinder 157 connected to the machine head. From this cylinder 157, the threading needle 158 is displaceable through the respective bobbin receiver 22 and the hollow spindle shank of the bobbin carrier unit. The operator merely has to fix the thread end of the delivery bobbin 5 to the free end of the threading needle 158. The threading will then be effected automatically by a return movement of the needle 158.

Since the delivery bobbin carrier unit lifted off from the spindle 6 and placed upon the bobbin receiver 22 of the endless conveyor 19, in addition to carrying also the empty delivery bobbin sleeve, carries the thread feed-in tube with the drag wing, which prior to the insertion of a new delivery bobbin 5 has to be withdrawn from the unit, there is provided a lifting off device 159 for facilitating the servicing. This lifting off device is located at the head end of the machine above the endless conveyor (FIG. 1) and in a pneumatic or hydraulic manner lifts ofi the thread feed-in tube as well as the drag wing. This lifting-off device holds the thread feed-in tube in upwardly pivoted manner during the depositing of a new delivery bobbin 5 and automatically after the delivery bobbin 5 has been deposited, pivots the thread feed-in tube and the drag wing back to their starting position. In this way, the operator will be able with both hands to insert the delivery bobbin into the delivery bobbin carrier unit without being handicapped by the thread feed-in tube with the drag wing.

The machines shown in FIGS. 4 to 9 are each provided with an upward endless conveyor and correspondingly have a head end somewhat different from that of FIG. 1 because in the head end there is additionally mounted the drive for the upward endless conveyor. As far as FIGS. 4 to 9 illustrate the same parts as they are shown in FIGS. 1-3, the same parts in these figures have been designated with the same reference numerals.

More specifically, FIGS. 4 to 9 show a transmission box 1 located at the head end of the machine while the main drive motor is designated with the reference numeral 102 and the spindle rail is designated with the reference numeral 3. The machines of FIGS. 4 to 8 furthermore comprise a tangential drive belt 8 and spindles 6 the balloon restrainers of which, which are not shown, are provided with a box-shaped cover 6b. The device furthermore comprises thread guiding eyes 11, running ahead rollers 13 located on the drive shaft 119, friction rollers 21 on the drive shaft 111, reciprocating thread guiding means 112 and winding-up bobbins 17 in the bobbin frame 16.

Above the winding-up part which consists of the parts 12, 119, 21, 111, 112, 17, 16, at both sides of the vertical central plane of the machine there is provided the endless conveyor which can be driven so as to circulate. The said endless conveyor comprises a chain 19 which in longitudinal direction is supported by rails 116 and which rotates at the head end of the machine above substantially horizontal sprocket wheels. The driven sprocket wheel 20 is shown in FIG. 4. According to FIGS. 4-8, the chain 19 has trough-shaped bobbin receivers 118 and also sleeve depositing cups 119 which, for purposes of avoiding dust deposits, may be provided with passages therethrough. The sleeve depositing cups 119 are mounted on chain 19 with the same spacing as the spindles.

As will be seen from FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, ahead of the drive gear box 1 of the machine there are provided the collecting container 120 for receiving the delivery bobbins 5 to be placed into readiness, and a container 122 for receiving the finished winding-up bobbins 17. The transport of the delivery bobbins *5 to the delivery bobbin receivers 118 of the upper endless chain 19 is effected by means of the upward endless conveyor. This last mentioned conveyor is supported by a frame 149 which is fixedly or detachably connected to the machine frame. In the last mentioned instance, the frame 149 is preferably movable as will be explained further below.

The chain 124 of the upward endless conveyor is looped around three sprocket wheels 125, 126, 127 of which the sprocket wheel 127 is driven. The conveyor section between the sprocket wheels 125 and 126 extends upwardly at an incline, whereas the chain section between the sprocket wheels 126 and 127 extends parallel to and above the upper endless conveyor 119 and within the range of the first spindle 6 returns to the sprocket wheel 125 about the driving sprocket wheel 127. The endless chain 124 is equipped with bobbin receivers 128 having a U-shaped cross-section while the rear leg 129, for purposes of better supporting the delivery bobbins, is somewhat higher than the front leg 130. In view of the cross-section of the bobbin carrier 128, the latter is able to receive delivery bobbins with different diameters.

Similar to the endless conveyor with the chain 19, also the bobbin receiver 128 of the upward endless conveyor is arranged on chain 124 in a spaced relationship thereto which corresponds to the spacing between the spindles.

As will be seen from the individual figures, above the horizontal section of the upward endless conveyor and parallel thereto between the sprocket wheels 126 and 127 there is provided an abutment strip 131. FIG. 6 shows how the abutment strip 131 extends at an incline over three bobbin receivers. By means of the abutment strip 131 the delivery bobbins '5 are moved out of the bobbin receivers 128 which are inclined toward the central plane of the machine and have a trough shape.

The bobbin receivers 128 are then moved onto the bobbin receivers 118 of the upper endless conveyor 19 which latter then takes over the additional transport along the machine to the twisting stations. According to FIGS. 4 and 8, the bobbin receivers 118 of the upper endless conveyor are likewise of trough shape.

According to FIGS. 4 and 7, the endless conveyor 124 I is in contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 4, 6, 8 and 9 with the sprocket wheels 125-127 and the abutment strip 131 carried by the frame 149. Frame 149 is displaceable by means of rollers 147 and 148, rollers 148 forming guiding rollers. The frame 149 is detachable from the machine so that the upward endless conveyor can become active successively for a plurality of machines. The arresting of the frame 149 on the machine is effected by means of clutches 150 and 151 shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. These clutches arrest the position of the frame 149 with regard to the head end of the machine in all directions. In order to assure the same rhythm during the rotation of both endless conveyors, the drive wheel 127 of the upward endless conveyor 124 is adapted to be clutched to the drive of the upper endless conveyor 19 as will now be described. Opposite the abutment strip 131 on the other machine side there is provided a further abutment strip 132 which extends at an incline above four bobbin receivers 118 of the upper endless conveyor in such a way that by means of said abutment strip 132, the winding-up bobbins 17 moved thereto can be stripped off from the bobbin receiving means 118 and dropped downwardly onto the inclined chute 133 shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 9 along which the winding-up bobbins 17 slide downwardly into the container 122. The chute 133 is provided with a ste 134 opposite which is located an impact wall 135 so that the energy of movement of the winding-up bobbins 17 is partially destroyed while said bobbins move to the container 122. This will prevent the container 122 from moving away from the machine in view of too high a kinetic movement of the winding-up bobbins 17. For purposes of counting the winding-up bobbins 17 moving along the chute 133, there may within the region of said bobbins be provided a counting mechanism with feeler which latter is contacted by the respective winding-up bobbin passing along the chute 133.

As will also be evident from FIGS. 4, 6 and 9, within the range of the endless conveyor, a counting mechanism 136 may be arranged at the depositing station. This counting mechanism or counter 136 cooperates with a switch by means of which the two endless conveyors may be turned off and turned on together while the counter controls the turning off mechanism in conformity with the said number of delivery bobbins to be conveyed.

The two endless conveyors are driven by means of a common motor (not illustrated) which is located within the driving box 1. This motor drives the driving sprocket 20 of the upper endless chain 19 and an additional coaxially arranged sprocket wheel 20a around which the chain 137 passes which also passes around the sprocket wheel 138. The sprocket Wheel 138 which is clearly shown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 9, is in conformity with FIG. 7, mounted on shaft 139 which is journalled in the support 140. Shaft 139 carries the bevel gear 141 which meshes with the bevel gear 142 which latter is likewise mounted on shaft 143 supported by the support 140.

If the upward endless conveyor 124 is mounted on frame 149 so as to be detachable from the machine, the drive wheel 127 of the conveyor 124 must be separable from the common drive. This is effected in conformity with FIG. 4 at the station 152 where shaft 143 is adapted to be clutched to the shaft of the gear 144. In order to secure an equal rhythm during the rotation of the two endless conveyors, the end of the shaft of gear 144 can only in a rotary position, which is adjustable by the hand wheel 144a, be moved into the clutch member of shaft 143. Gear 144 meshes with gear 145. Coaxially arranged with the gear 144 is the-sprocket wheel 12-7 of chain 124 pertaining to the upward endless conveyor, In this way, the common drive by a motor and also synchronism of both endless conveyors will be assured.

The design of the two-for-one twisting machine according to FIG. 9 corresponds to that of FIGS. 4-8. The only difference consists in that the bobbin receiving means of the upper endless conveyor 19 is not formed by trough-shaped cups 11-8, but by mandrels 146 adapted to receive the delivery bobbins 5 moved or fed by the upward endless conveyor. These mandrels 146 also receive the completed winding-up bobbins 17 which automatically are withdrawn by means of strip 132 whereupon the bobbins 17 pass via chute 133 into the container 122.

As will be evident from the individual figures, the delivery bobbins 5 placed into readiness into the container 120 are with the endless conveyors in motion, successively fed into the trough-shaped receiving means 128 of the conveyor 124 and by means of the latter move to the upper endless conveyor into the troughs 118 thereof or onto the mandrels 146 thereof and together therewith are distributed around the machine to the individual twisting stations. After this distribution, the endless conveyors are stopped.

For purposes of moving away the finished winding-up bobbins 17, at least the upper endless conveyor is put into motion so that the winding-up bobbins 17 successively pass by the abutment strip 132 and are by the latter stripped off from the bobbin receiving means whereupon they drop onto the chute 133 on which they move into the receiving container 122.

Thus, the feeding of the delivery bobbins 5 to the individual spinning stations is effected automatically as is the removal of the winding-up bobbins 17 while one head end of the machine represents the emitting and the receiving station. The operator, for purposes of equipping the spindles 6 will have the required delivery bobbins 5 on the spot before him and will be able to place the completed winding-up bobbins 17 above the twisting station in readiness for the removal to the head end. All transporting movements to the twisting stations and away from the latter are thus effected automatically so that a transport of delivery bobbins 5 or winding-up bobbins 17 along the machine by hand carts or the like will be superfluous.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a two-for-one twisting machine having a frame and spindle regions spaced uniformly along said frame, a delivery station and a winding-up station arranged one about the other in each spindle region, endless conveyor means on the frame having horizontally extending reaches, said conveyor means including bobbin supporting means for receiving bobbins spaced therealong at the same spacing as said spindle regions, said conveyor means when driven being adapted for conveying bobbins along the frame to and from said spindle regions and being adapted for being halted with said bobbin supporting means at said spindle regions, said conveyor means being supported on said frame at a level above the uppermost one of said stations, and drive means in the frame connected to said conveyor means for driving said conveyor means.

2. A machine according to claim 1, which includes an endless supply conveyor at one end of the machine running in a vertical plane and having a reach extending upwardly at an incline to about the level of said conveyor means and then in a substantially horizontal direction along an end portion of one reach of said conveyor means on the side thereof toward the outside of said frame, said supply conveyor comprising bobbin receiving troughs spaced therealong at the same spacing as the said bobbin supporting means of said conveyor means, and a delivery rail extending along said horizontal portion of said supply conveyor and inclined inwardly toward said conveyor means in the direction of movement of said supply conveyor at a level above said troughs but below the tops of bobbins in the troughs so as to engage and transfer the bobbins on said supply conveyor from the said troughs to the bobbin supporting means of said conveyor means as the supply conveyor and conveyor means move, and means for driving said supply conveyor in synchronism with said conveyor means.

3. A machine according to claim 2, which includes an ejection rail on the opposite side of said frame from said delivery rail and at the same end of said frame, said ejection rail being positioned over said conveyor means and inclining outwardly on said frame in the direction of movement of said conveyor means at a level above said bobbin supporting means but at a level below the tops of bobbins in said bobbin supporting means whereby the ejection rail is operable to eject bobbins from the conveyor means as the conveyor means moves, and receiving means in the form of an inclined chute at the side of said frame in the region of said ejection rail to receive the ejected bobbins.

-4. A machine according to claim 2, in which said bobbin supporting means on said conveyor means are in the form of upwardly opening trough means.

5. A machine according to claim 1, in which said conveyor means includes a cup beneath each said bobbin supporting means for receiving bobbin sleeves.

-6. A machine according to claim 2, which includes a common drive motor in the frame for driving both of said conveyor means and supply conveyor.

7. A machine according to claim 6, which includes a moveable frame on which said supply conveyor is mounted, and means for detachably connecting said moveable frame to the frame of said machine in a predetermined location.

8. A machine according to claim 7, which includes separable clutch elements on said machine frame and moveable frame connected to said conveyor means and supply conveyor respectively and operable for detachably drivingly interconnecting said conveyor means and said supply conveyor, said clutch elements being relatively indexable for effecting preliminary registration of the bobbin receiving troughs of said supply conveyor with the said bobbin supporting means of said conveyor means.

9. A machine according to claim 2, which includes counter means positioned for actuation by bob-bins on said supply conveyor and adapted for controlling the driving of said conveyor means.

10. A machine according to claim 3, which includes 10 counter means positioned for actuation by bobbins ejected by said ejector rail for keeping count of the ejected bobbins.

11. A machine according to claim 3, in which said inclined chute includes a step therein so as to cause the ejected bobbins to follow a step-like path along the chute and thereby be slowed down.

12. A machine according to claim 3, in which both of said supply conveyor on one side of said machine and said chute on the other side of the machine have their outer ends located at conveniently low levels for use with bobbin containers resting on the floor at the end of the machine.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,082,908 3/1963 Ingham. 3,319,410 5/1967 Franzen 5734 3,360,915 1/1968 Franzen 5752 XR 3,429,113 2/1969 Nimtz et al 5734 3,447,707 6/1969 Furst 5752 XR DONALD E. WATKINS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5754 

